1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a method of cleaning and preparing a quantity of produce, such as fruits and/or vegetables, the method providing a safe and sanitary cleansing process which does not excessively raise the pulp temperature of the produce and does not require the use of detergents and/or chlorine as a cleaning agent.
2. Description of the Related Art
Fresh produce, such as fruits and vegetables, will generally undergo a certain degree of processing or preparation before it is presented for sale. The primary reasons for this processing relates to the dirt and/or pesticides which may be on the produce when picked, and to a general desire to place the produce in its most presentable, appealing condition for an extended period of time during sale.
In order to provide the necessary processing, most produce processing facilities generally pass the produce through an elaborate washing and sanitizing system. Generally, however, conventionally utilized washing processes involve the use of a cleansing agent to remove dirt and/or chemicals from the surface of the food. Typically, the cleaning agents utilized include soaps or detergents, or a concentrated quantity of chlorine which is sprayed onto the food. Subsequently, the produce is rinsed and dried such that a food grade wax may be applied to the cleaned produce. In particular, the food grade wax provides a more attractive exterior appearance to the produce, and provides a certain degree of preservation and added shelf life to the produce. The food grade wax, however, which must necessarily be added in a liquefied form, must also be dried onto the produce before the produce is ready to be shipped. Along these lines, in addition to the concerns associated with utilizing detergents or chlorine in the cleansing of the produce, both due to the nature of those chemicals and the normal, limited cleansing abilities thereof, a further concern associated with conventional preparation processes relates to the drying of the produce. In particular, conventional produce washing and drying processes dry the produce utilizing heat obtained from direct gas fired heaters or steam from a boiler. Moreover, temperatures of between 115 to 125 degrees are achieved. Naturally, these high temperate, while drying the produce will also substantially raise the pulp temperature of the produce resulting in damage or other premature degradation of the produce.
Accordingly, it would be beneficial to provide a method of cleaning and preparing produce which is efficient to utilize, does not use potentially harmful detergents or chlorine, and does not excessively raise the pulp temperature of the produce in order to effectuate drying thereof.